Where it Reyns Up
by IsaGoodFriend
Summary: Born in a small cave, and forced to live his entire life within it's hold, Reyn has no choice but to destroy the curse that's held him bound. Or die trying.
1. The Curse

Rain fell, taunting Reyn. He listened to it as it made it symphonic noise. He loved the sound, yet hated the source. It fell so easily, lightly plinking as it hit the floor. The floor. The floor taunted him too. He looked upwards toward it, glaring at it with rage. It stared back, cold and unforgiving. The wind howled and spun, sending chills down Reyn's spine. Brown leaves flew in and danced around his cave. The stone prison he called home echoed with the sound of their movement.

Reyn sighed, arms crossed, hooves tapping the stone out of boredom. The wind picked up, blowing his sack of fruits and berries around. It was just a simple bundle of leaves tied together, connected to the roof by a small handful of vines notched into stalactites above. It was crude and simple, but effective. Reyn turned to watch it. He studied its movement, fascinated. It swung every which way. His lips curled into a light smile.

His stomach growled loudly. Reyn shook his head, waking himself from the his daydream. He resisted. The sack was near empty, and he wanted to make sure it lasted until it refilled. The growling persisted, pain kicking him lightly. He was running his meals small recently, but it was certainly biting him back. He groaned, finally standing to satisfy his complaining stomach. He grabbed for the bag and pulled it close. Reyn was greeted with a sad sight. Two peaches, an apple, and only a half a pawful of berries. He sighed, hoping Sync would come soon. He had apparently given himself the duty of refilling Reyn's food. He didn't come at his normal time, which worried him.

"Why that no good, ungrateful..." He shook his head, sighing to himself. He took a small portion, letting the bag limply sway in the wind once again. Reyn moved back to his little corner, biting hard into the fruit. Juice spilled out and he struggled to save every drop. Reyn started to a steady rustling outside. The grass crunched in regular form as what sounded like the hoofsteps of another Spirit approached. He turned sharply to see who it was. If it was that no good Sync, why he'd-

As he turned, his eyes caught sight of, not Sync, but someone he didn't know, or even recognize. Reyn had an excellent memory of most of the forest spirits. He knew many names, most were at least recognizable, even at a distance. His mind raced, trying to remember her. He stared at her features. She relatively short, though nowhere near some of the others he had seen. She was also an average weight. She wasn't chubby, nor particularly strong. Her frills were relatively short, moving in the wind gracefully. Her fur was beautifully kept. It surprised him that this girl was beyond his knowledge. Her step was quiet as she approached.

"H-hello?" she said, looking up toward Reyn.

Oh great... Reyn sighed, frowning. Surely the others told her about me. Doesn't she know me? That grumpy hermit? That one Spirit who wouldn't leave if he could?

"Yes, hi, what do you want?" He said, rushing his words. The sooner she left, the better.

"H-hi, I'm... I'm Zera." Zera extended her paw up, trying to reach Reyn. He just stared back coldly, not saying a word. She took the hint.

"U-uh, I just w-wanted to say hi... I'm... I'm new here. I was born last week." She smiled proudly.

"Mhm..." Reyn looked unimpressed. That explained how he didn't know her. And why she was here. Newborn always tried to visit. They don't get a chance to hear the rumors.

She seemed to relax a bit. Her face beamed brighter, and she sat down on the floor, crossing her legs. Reyn just stood, glaring at her. "So, that's it? You've just come to tell me the exciting news of your first birthday?" He frowned at how rude he said that.

"Well, I thought it would be a nice way to talk with a new friend." Her face smiled.

"Look, kid, I'm not your friend. I don't want one, and I don't need one. I appreciate the offer, but I like it here alone. Get lost." Reyn turned his head, avoiding the girl's eyes. He left it at that, hoping that would drive her off

"O-oh..." She seemed to have expected such a response. She turned away, eyes softly looking at the cave floor. Her steps slowly faded, echoing in the cave before stopping abruptly. He turned to see her sat at the entrance, watching the trees. Her knees were tucked in, but she swayed softly, listening to the wind.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Get out of here. Go. Leave." He raised his tone slightly, trying to be as kind as he could.

"B-but you're alone. No one should be-"

"Well I-I don't care!" Reyn stopped her before she could finish. "I want to be alone! I'm tired of you all thinking I need a friend. That 'Oh, he'll be happier if we bother him. He'll smile if we annoy him.' No. I'm done! Leave me alone and stop trying to be so nice to me!"

His words came out faster than he could stop them. His rage took over. All he could do was watch as Zera's heart ripped in half. She burst into tears, fleeing to someone else in the distance. Someone he recognized. Tali. Her name sent shivers down his spine. She gave him a glare, and he responded with a rude gesture. He stood for a while, slowly watching the two drift away, his own rage swelling. He took his half eaten peach and threw it against the wall, tears flooding his vision. He flopped onto the hard rock, crying silently. Words echoed in his mind. It's what you deserve. You're just a rude, grumpy hermit. Maybe you're powers were meant to fail. You're supposed to be here, stuck in this cave. So no one else could get hurt by who you are.

Reyn turned upward, looking at the floor above him. He reached for it, demanding it to bring it near him. He pulled inside himself, trying to reach his power. He demanded it to stop. For once in his life to, just once, work with him. His attempt was futile as always, his own gravity relentlessly pushing him up.

His eyes turned back outside. The sky ever teasing him. It beckoned to him, pulling at him. Trying to draw him into it's never ending blue. You're powers chose you. They wanted you to stay here, always glued to the ceiling...

"...Never to leave. Never to hurt."


	2. Tali is not Pleased

Reyn paced the ceiling. The rain had since stopped, but the wind had picked up. It whistled loudly, a multitude of pitches clashing against one another. The floor was still wet, which gave him a blurry window into the world beyond. He could make out a large mountain, something he assumed to be Horu. The misty sky blanketed the towering beast, making it difficult to truly discern. The Spirit Tree's bright glow easily broke the fog. Neither Sorrow's Pass nor the Gumon Peaks were visible.

A bright flash filled Reyn's mirror to the world. Thunder rumbled, breaking Reyn's train of thought. Chills ran down his spine

His hooves echoed throughout his cave. Sync still hadn't come the night previous. He searched the horizon for the thousandth time. Nothing. He wasn't there. he could try painting again.

Reyn sighed, looking at his food sack. He hadn't touched it since yesterday. One peach, one apple, one handful of berries. It wouldn't last for more than a day.

He broke away from his food, trying to keep his mind occupied. The sun lit the brightly. The grass shimmered, wind softly stroking across the valley. The trees stood boldly, natures soldiers standing proud in the face of... well nature. He could even see Mount Horu in the distance, mostly covered by the ever looming Spirit Tree. It's smoke ever present in the sky, lightly dotting the rich blue of the sky. Reyn smiled. Inspiration had struck.

He quickly grabbed some water before reaching into his other sack. It was full of pastes, each a unique color. He pondered a moment, deciding on a good starting color before reaching in. He rushed to the other wall, dabbing his paw into the mush. He quickly spread blue across the stone, leaving spots for other colors. Blues, greens, whites, browns. He carefully stroked his canvas of granite to paint his vision. The sun setting in the west, Horu in the back, the grass, the trees. All painted in with care and a delicate hand. He tweaked and smudged, mixing the colors to create a wide variety of hues and tones. He smiled, running back and forth, bringing a new color each time. The wall was soon covered with a beautiful rendition of the world as he saw it. He paused, thinking for a moment. It needed... some more blue. The sky wasn't quite as rich as he hoped. He turned to get his color, but he quickly froze.

Tali was standing there.

Reyn gulped, heart pounding slightly. She just stood, eyes afixed toward his. Her tall figure didn't move. She seemed to tower over Reyn, even from such a distance. He tried to read her face, but it was difficult.

"So this is what you do all day, stalagmite?" Tali had her arms crossed, eyes glaring at him intently. Reyn's eyes squinted at the use of the word.

"It looks good. You've quite the talent." She continued, walking closer to admire it. Reyn crossed his arms, just letting her talk. There was nothing to make her leave. He just waited for her to finish, watching her circle the inside of his house.

"So, I heard little Zera came to visit you last night. What a sweetheart, she is. She's such a nice girl. Always seeing the good in people, even if there isn't anything to see." Her tone cut through him, her sudden glare making him shiver.

"What d-do you want, Tali?" Reyn shifted nervously.

Tali turned away, shrugging lightly. "Oh, I'm just here to visit our little cave spider. I warned her, you know. Zera. She heard the stories, the rumors. Somehow, she wanted to… befriend you because of that." She stopped at his fruit sack, swinging it around a bit.

"When I told her I already tried, she persisted. I didn't realize what she had done until she came crying back." She glared back at Reyn, lips tightening. Her face went stone cold, and Reyn gulped, sweating. "You know I'm never wrong though. You proved that last night for me. She's still hasn't stopped crying. Her heart is broken. Because of you."

Tali stared, grabbing Reyn's soul and spilling it out for the world to see. He wanted to collapse into a pile of nothing and just disappear.

After what seemed forever, Tali turned back to the painting. Her paw graced the image, smearing what was going to be the Ginso tree. "Well, it's no matter now. What's done is done. And fortunately for her, there won't be anyone to break her little heart again." Reyn's eyes suddenly narrowed. Something about that sounded odd. He knew there was wh- He turned back to his food sack, the pieces clicking.

"What did you do to Sync!?" He yelled. His heart raced with fear.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just a... little chat is all. I'm not sure why he cared so much about you. Even after what you did to him. I guess he finally understands who you are. A nuisance. No, a risk. A danger." She turned to walk away. Reyn's anger swelled again. He gripped his blue paint container, hurling it at her head. She ducked without a thought, her power helping her avoid the attack with ease. She kept walking out, slowly and silently moving out of distance.

Reyn sighed, heart still pounding. He looked at his food sack. The bag was limp, it's size told the story he feared. It was empty. He was too busy painting. His ears drooped lower than usual, flopping over his shoulders. What was he to do? His mind raced, trying to find a solution. He couldn't leave to get food. His cave certainly didn't have any. Rage once again filled him. He fummed about, ripping his empty sack from the ceiling and heaving downward. Finally, he just lay down, letting the pain numb him of his new, short reality.


	3. Connections

Tali slowly left the dark cave, leaving Reyn to contemplate his last days. She walked slowly, not really giving much thought to where she went. Her hooves squished the wet grass as she walked. She stared down with her arms folded tightly. Her mind raced.

He deserves this. I won't let him do any more harm. She wasn't quite sure how much she believed herself. She shook her head. No, she had to believe it. What she did was right. It's for the greater good.

Maybe.

She looked back at the sky. There wasn't much to look at; pure grey blanketed the vibrant blues she loved. She could see the sun, though it was nothing more than a faint blotch in the middle of flat nothingness. The rain had since stopped, for which she was pleased. But even still, everything was just so… quiet. So gentle. So… mournful.

She turned back, spotting Reyn instantly. She could feel him glaring at her. His rage was palpable. She wondered what he would do. How long would it take before he… left? Would he give up before then? Would he actually find a way to survive? The thought shook Tali. It was an odd feeling. Such a unusual blend between hope and relief, and fear and pain.

Tali suddenly stopped. Her face was mere inches from a tree. She still hadn't turned from the cave; she saw it coming through her powers. While she was glad to have such an ability, it wasn't easy to use. She certainly could see the outcome of anything in the near future, she sometimes forgot to check.

Her gaze turned to the tree. It's form was twisted and warped, the bark had numerous cracks running up and down it. You could see many spots where youthful spirits broke branches off, either on purpose for swordplay, or when they went a little too far and found themselves tumbling to the ground. Tali approached softly, lightly touching its bark. A smile grew on her lips as she studied the tree further. The tree spoke to her through it's marks. The tales of some lovers, met under a tree. Young boys and girls, enjoying the hours of their youth leaping and climbing the tree. So many stories to be told.

She felt her legs nearly give way as a young spirit ran into her legs. The young girl gave a quick "Sawwy!" before running off, giggling as she was chased by her friends. Tali smiled brighter, watching the little ones dash around. Some of them threw bursts of light at their friend, trying to get her to stop. She remembered playing tag. She was unusually good at it with her powers at her side.

She turned to the horizon again, continuing her pace. She forced herself to look forward, ignoring the temptation to stare at Reyn.

A faint voice echoed around the forest. Her ears twitched slightly. It sounded really familiar.

"Sync?" She yelled, trying to find the source of the voice. She quickly spotted him, giving a quick wave before dashing off toward him He bounded forward in response. His strong legs propelled him at a fierce pace, making quick time of the gap.

"Heya, how's it going?" His breath was a bit short, but quickly recovered. He put his arms out wide.

Tali paused and put on a smile. "Oh, it's good. Just taking a walk. Needed... I dunno." She hid her tension by stretching a bit. Her eyes avoided his strategically. Sync smiled in response, seemingly oblivious.

"That's good." He said, smiling brightly. He coughed, still waiting for her to notice him. "Ahem…"

"Huh- Oh!" She laughed lightly, completing the hug. "Sorry, I'm just really lost in thought today… I just had a lot on my mind."

Sync held her softly, Tali slowly melting into his fur. "I see… what's been going on? You still worried about Zera?"

She sighed, guiding him to sit down under a nearby tree. "Somewhat. It's… well, you know how much Reyn worries me."

"I know. He sometimes worries me too, to be frank. To… too…"

She chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, I got the point. ... I mean, what if someone else gets hurt? Or worse? Do you really want to risk something like that? Sooner or later, some young spirit is going to make him mad, and he'll… yeah."

Tali shifted, arm wrapping around Sync's waist. Her weight leaned in as she sighed deeply.

"I dunno, Sync. I know he's your "friend", but I don't want to see you hurt again. Or Zera. She just had to go and visit him. I tried… I-" A tear dripped down her face.

"Look, we both know you did your best. You- umm… you knew what to say… but it's okay that she didn't listen. And… well." He waved his arms around, hoping it would magically make words form. Tali giggled.

"Heh, yeah. Yeah, you're right." She relaxed, relieved that Sync was there for her, even if he didn't quite know how. She snuggled in closer, feeling warm against the cold and gloomy weather. She let the moment drift, the world slowly.


End file.
